Not Over Yet
by mirrors-never-lie
Summary: A collection of stories, ficlets, and other little treats for us Lunartics. May include fluff, may include angst. Some may take place before the book Winter, others after. It's the parts that we missed out on, the parts we dream about, the parts that make us want to sigh and say, "The Lunar Chronicles are not over yet."
1. Chapter 1- A Game of Color

**A/N: Hello, fellow Lunartics. It pains me to say this, but this series has come to an end, and even with Stars Above coming soon...**

 **I refuse to believe what I just wrote above. The Lunar Chronicles will never be over to me, and I hope it won't fade to you guys too. This is why I have decided to write 'Not Over Yet', a story that may contain ficlets, short stories, long stories, and my TLC Ship Weeks submissions will be posted here.**

 **Some may take place after Winter, some before, some whenever. (Don't worry- I will include when it's taking place in each of my A/Ns for each chapter.) This certain story was written before reading _Winter_. Thus, this does not happen in the book. Takes place during the course of Winter. I posted it on tumblr, responding to an otpprompt. The prompt: ** Person A of your OTP is colorblind. Person B tries to describe color to Person A, who doesn't seem to understand at all no matter how many times color is explained to them. Then after [a certain time frame], Person B works up the money to buy a pair of EnChroma (glasses especially designed for the colorblind). When Person A first puts them on they are astonishing by what they had been missing. **It got more likes than I expected, so I decided to post it here. Hope you enjoy!**

He Knows Her Color of Space

He was blind.

Still _was_ blind, for the time being.

And she was trying to explain to him how things looked like. Because now he couldn't see colors- something Cress loved to talk about. She could go on about any hue; she was like the word rainbow.

She could show him and explain like a professor, describe what it was that he accidentally and embarrassingly bumped into, but that was not in Cress's nature. She liked to do things differently, and he knew and loved that.

"Color of love and warmth. Of hugs and kisses," she whispers after he grips onto her shirt to keep from tripping over a table.

"Pink," he mumbles into her ear. "I haven't seen that in a while," he says softly, and his lips find her forehead, which begins to match the hue she was talking about.

Or maybe they'll be talking together, and he'll randomly say:

"My eyes. I haven't seen my reflection in ages."

And she'll state with aplomb, "A pigment of the ocean and sky. Deep hope and faith. It's the feeling you get when you're cold but happy, in the season of winter. When things are tiring, but you know they'll get better. Like now."

And he always pecks her with his wide lips when she describes colors, always and always.

But today, he just didn't get it. She never tells him the exact color she's trying to describe, and that's the purpose of this game- to get him to use context clues to find what hue she's talking about.

"Color of death and despair," she tries. She tries to explain such a dull color- a hated and despised color- but he doesn't understand. A color she wants to wrap around and lasso onto Levana. He shakes his head like he doesn't want to understand, and he looks up at her sadly and doesn't speak, doesn't talk, doesn't nothing.

She says his name again and again, then calls out _Captain._ He doesn't get it, and he's in the seas searching, and she says that he knows.

He knows.

But he's not even going to bother- he just says no and walks away.

She thinks that night- she's frustrated and baffled. What did she say wrong?

The next day is no different- she asks him and pleads what's wrong, and he shrugs it off like the color of death is nothing he wants, nothing he likes.

"It's a hue of cold, but not blue," her voice cracks.

He nods like he knows, but she's getting worked up over nothing- she really is.

After three days of him ignoring her hints, she huffs and buys him those color blind glasses after they land on Luna. Not like they had time for it. They didn't have a single second to spare- but she saw one glinting on a shelf in that convenience store they went to, and she couldn't resist.

And she forces them on his face, and he cringes, but she angles his head up towards the color- the space.

He wanted to know the color of space- expecting insinuations like bright and shiny and starry and beautiful, but she gives him dark and death and despair.

And then, he hiccups, his breath caught, and she knows that he can see the colors- he can begin to see with these nerdy, cute glasses on.

He knows- truly knows the meaning of space- the color of black.

 **A/N: Yep, I know...This isn't scientifically accurate; no way Thorne could simply see with a pair of glasses...and what about all that Cresswell love-tension?**

 **I still hope you guys liked it. Thanks for reading, along with my other fic, Beginning of the New Generation.**


	2. Chapter 2- Demons

**A/N: Based off the song, Demons by Imagine Dragons. This is for all of those Imagine Dragons lovers. And based off Marissa Meyer's books.**

Demons

 _When your dreams all fail, and the ones we hail are the worst of all, and the blood's run stale._

He blinked twice, adjusting to the scene. His heart plummeted, drowning in an ocean. A cry of hysteria stumbled from her, and she fell to the ground. The place was a mess. The doors were knocked down, the steps mangled, shutters ripped off, structures beaten, and the crops looked like they were decaying. What happened...the last time he came here, it was fine. Nothing was out of place, right? Sharp questions stung his mind. Last time. That felt so long ago.

The last time he came here. Before the revolution.

The last time he came here. On a mission.

The last time he came here. Part of a pack.

Wolf shuddered. He shouldn't have been surprised, but he was. The farm. She loved the farm, and some psycho tore the place down. He would murder the person who did it, if he found out. _Murder_. A thought struck him- wasn't that blond friend of Scarlet's supposed to be here? No, he wouldn't lay a finger on the person who did the damage; he would kill that no-good waitress instead. She should have protected the farm instead of leaving it to chaos and crazy people. A chicken clucked, bursting out of the front door, which was knocked down.

Scarlet, who had succumbed to the gravel, latched her fingers onto his shirt. He had no choice but to fall down beside her. She gripped his shirt so tightly, he was afraid it would rip. Her body curled up towards him, almost like she needed some form of warmth, but with the way she kept shivering, it might not have mattered.

"Scar..." His breathing was coming out all ragged, and she started to cry. "It's alright." A sob escaped her lips, and she muffled the noise by burying her head into his chest. Her hair became a mess- curls tangled and disheveled and worse than his unkempt, wolf-like hair. Tears fell onto his neck and kept coming down, and something inside of Wolf cracked.

All he wanted was for her to be safe.

Everything around them was falling apart, crumbling into ruins, and he was _lying_ to her. What he was doing was worse than manipulating. Pretending that everything would be alright. To him, this was much worse. Remorse clawed at Wolf as Scarlet wept, soft like a willow yet so pained like a bedraggled dog, into him.

 _I wanna hide the truth, I wanna shelter you, but with the beast inside, there's nowhere we can hide..._

He wanted to tell her. But, how? To break it to his...his alpha that there was no home for them? The farm had been destroyed pretty badly, and it would take at least a year to rebuild- even he could tell.

But it wasn't just the house that was broken.

Their relationship. Wolf had loved her from the very beginning, and he hoped that she did too. But their love was once built on lies, and even though he was positive that they would be strong together, he was afraid that it would break apart too soon. He was a wolf, an animal. A savage beast-man. If he did anything to hurt her, he'd have to leave. He'd force himself too.

He shivered involuntarily as she placed a sweet kiss to his temple, tears still trailing down her face. But he still loved her. She needed to know...

"I'm sorry," he whispered, voice coming out harsher than he intended. Her eyes widen with something- fear? He gulped, hoping that she wasn't afraid of him. But she had every right to be, especially after everything.

"Why?" She clutched him tighter, wrapping her arms around his neck and attacking him with little kisses. "It's not you fault."

"No. I mean, well, the farm was destroyed as an act of protest against the wolf-hybrids."

"How can you tell? It's not like people knew about you yet." She halted her lips right above his left ear, and it was driving him insane. Her breath was warm and the scent was strong; he wanted to kiss her forever and forget about all that happened.

"The news, Scarlet. We were interviewed before we came here, and we said that we were going back to Rieux, France. Remember?" Something tightened in her jaw as he spoke, and her face hardened.

"No. It's not your fault."

"They hate me. And everywhere I go, I bring destruction for you."

"Not your fault," she growled.

"Scarlet. It's my fault, and everything won't be okay." Her eyes narrowed as he spoke.

"We went through worse. Paris attacks. War. Revolution. We practically fought death itself, Wolf. Don't you understand?"

"I know. I just...I can't do this the way I want to."

"I know what you mean," she started softly. "I mean, obviously things aren't alright." She scoffed, and he bristled as she started to cry again. He never recalled a time when she looked so broken.

"You know that I'm dangerous." He took on a desperate tone, pleading. Urging, even. A glint flashed through her eyes- akin to recognition and hatred.

"Don't start. Please don't even go there."

"But you know what I mean. It's not...I don't want to tell you this. I hate telling you this," he tried. She snarled, though.

"Just stop. I'm your alpha, remember?"

"But-"

"Shh," she said, placing an index finger on his lips. Er, snout. He frowned, nerves tingling with doubt, but before he could say anything, a pair of impulsive lips caressed his, and he felt himself melting into a puddle.

 _When you feel my heat, look into my eyes, it's where my demons hide_

She finally stopped her tears and shivering. Scarlet peered up at him, and he sighed. He narrowed his eyes.

"I'm telling you. It's not to late to go. You should leave me." But, alas, he was lying again. He swore never to lie to her, and he was already fibbing here and there. But- it was for the sake of her. Of course he didn't want her to leave. He already felt attached to her, like she was a third arm. Her fingers went up and down his shirt.

"Why are saying this? Don't you…"

"Of course I love you, Scarlet. I'm just trying to protect you."

"I don't get it. We've been through everything, and now suddenly you don't want me to be with you," she said, more suspicious than hurt.

"They're going to target us," he said, pointing out the obvious.

"Haven't they been targeting us since the very beginning?" Scarlet's question came out more like a statement. She pinned a glare at him, and when he didn't respond, her hands firmly held his jaw.

"Hey. I know we're going to go through some tough times. I know. But I'm pretty sure if we part ways right now, things will just be more miserable." Her eyes forced him to stare at her. Irises the hue of honey-gold and auburn. She had such innocent, wide eyes.

"I...You're right," he finally said. Of course Scarlet would get her way, and he was sort of happy that she agreed that they should stay together, but upset that he was putting her in danger. "I just wish that nobody was around us."

"Well, you got miles and miles until the next farm, if that helps." Scarlet winked.

"You know what I mean," he started.

"I know," she whispered. "But I don't care if they're going to hate me, Wolf. All that matters is that we- we love each other." She attempted a weak smile, and he laughed softly.

"Nicely said."

"I try."

 _Your eyes, they shine so bright, I wanna save that light, I can't escape this now, unless you show me how_

Scarlet was ontop of him, like he was a comfortable couch for her to curl up on. And he didn't mind one bit if she did so- not like he even felt her weight anyway. Slowly, her eyes flickered, the specks of hazel and slight olive vanishing and dulling into sleep. Her lashes shut, and he liked the way she fit onto him- like two puzzle pieces dovetailed together.

"I love you," he hummed as she slept, and even though the gravel was beginning to bite into his back, he wished they could stay together like this, forever.

He wished a lot of things. Things that were impossible. Things like _forever safe_ and _happily ever after_ , things that would never exist.

Sharply, he inhaled. Scarlet's fingers wove around his collar of his shirt. She wasn't asleep, at least not yet.

"I love you, too." **  
**


	3. Chapter 3- Minnesota

**A/N: Hello. This is for artemisianfiretree on tumblr. She requested this- a Cresswell Christmas theme- because I was offering free fics for anyone interested. It's not too late to request, by the way, though if you want them in before Christmas, it could possibly be a shorter story/drabble... I decided to make her request into an AU, hope you didn't mind artemisianfiretree. Enjoy. Without further ado...**

It was the same as always. At least up until two years ago, that was.

Every time December rolled around.

The commercials and ads on T.V just beginning to talk about gifts and presents.

The constant aroma of freshly baked gingerbread everywhere she went.

The swirls of snowflakes nestling into her overgrown hair.

It was a wonderful time, and Cress loved the holidays. The act of giving and loving was palpable in the air, and who didn't like such a merry season? Laughter ringing, children sledding, and the soft hum of winter-themed songs playing through her head. It was such a content season, and even though Cress didn't like the Jack Frost biting on her cheeks and fingers, she loved seeing the fluffy snow that always promised a White Christmas in Minnesota. Warm tea brewing in a kettle and hot cocoa to her lips after a long day was proving to be an excellent treat. Minnesota itself was a treat- two years ago, Cress used to live in Florida, where the weather was hot and humid, but she moved all the way up here just for college, and it was proving to be fantastic. Just really cold.

Despite all the amazing things about the winter season...

Cress also _despised_ the holidays, especially Christmas.

She would never, ever tell a single soul that- that she hated the holidays. But it was true. Cress was now alone most of the time, ever since she moved. Her father had been her sole companion in Florida, but even he didn't provide for enough companionship that a growing girl should have had. When Cress was only four days old, her mother- her mother that she wished she knew but didn't- abandoned her and Sage Darnel, Cress's father. And shortly after, Sage hired a nanny.

An awful nanny.

Mira Sybil.

Cress shuddered, not from the cold, but from the poisonous name. _Mistress Sybil._ Her nanny was frightening, and her blows and strikes and chastising words haunted Cress for years. She might have held the presence of a mother, but she was definitely not the ideal mom. Watching Cress like a hawk- narrowing her beady eyes with every move she made, snarling when a clumsy Cress tripped, hitting her when when she received grades lower than an A…

The list went on and on. It was mercy when Sybil left for a few days each month. Sybil had her own personal life, after all. Cress pitied Sybil's children; surely they had it worse than Cress did. Unless if Sybil didn't have children? Either way, she was _not_ a woman to be messed with.

And Cress's father? He worked the whole day, and most of the night. As a busy doctor who hardly got any sleep, Sage worked and worked and worked, studying for cures and fighting off diseases. They hardly saw each other, and Sybil made sure of that. In Cress's eyes, her nanny's goal was to make Cress's life miserable.

In which, she did. Impossibly so. So much that Cress began to only squeak and stutter. She was traumatized, and her childhood was scarred. Cress faced years of torment, and finally- when the acceptance letters rolled around in the mail, Cress couldn't have been happier to move to Minnesota. Of course, Sybil didn't allow it at first, but by now, there wasn't much use for her, and finally- _finally_ \- Sage laid her off.

So, this was how Cress landed up in a new place. Minnesota. Cold yet beautiful Minnesota. She loved it, but reality stung.

Her life wasn't exactly a Hallmark movie.

There was nobody she really bonded with. Even in Florida, Cress was socially awkward, mainly because of the low self-esteem that her nanny made sure was in place instead of confidence. She only had one friend- her imaginary one, whom she dearly named _Little Cress._ But Cress learned quickly that if she wanted to be happier, she would need some real friends.

It didn't work out as she thought it would. Finding people willing to listen to a lonely girl who was less than five foot with unruly hair up to her knees was not that successful. Even in elementary school, the children laughed and taunted her.

And as a college student, soon to graduate as a computer technician, Cress stopped branching out to others.

First off- she was tiny. She blamed her parents for that. Cress was petite, and she had no features a _beautiful, exotic_ woman would have. She was, in her eyes, plain and short.

And then- her hair.

Without a proper mother, Cress had trouble learning about different fashions, especially ones involving her hair. Sybil was rather old-fashioned in her strict sense, and she made Cress wear her hair down in a long braid, never to cut it. Cress' clothing was boring and too staid, and she usually had to wear a conventional, gray dress or a white t-shirt and a long skirt. And if she protested, Sybil was there to smack her.

Her clothes were ugly, and when she was in middle school and high school, Cress usually hid in the bathroom stalls to change out of them and into her gym clothes. At the end of the day, she would change back into her boring, dull dress so Sybil wouldn't find out about her rebellious acts. And it didn't help that when her nanny did leave, it would be mysterious- she came and went randomly. So Cress didn't know which days she could have freedom, or when she didn't have to wear an old-lady dress.

Now, luckily, Cress had some normal clothing, but it wasn't over the top, mainly because she didn't have much money. Although her father was a successful doctor, he specifically told Cress that she would need to work on her own to earn some cash. And anyway, she already was pretty independent.

Just a bit naïve. And alone.

While most people were going to parties because of the vacation from school, Cress was getting ready to go to a new place. The dorms at the University of Luna's campus had new rules now. No one was allowed to access dorms during vacations or breaks between semesters. Which meant that Cress no longer had a place to stay.

At first, Cress had pondered about going back to Florida, to her father. But...

No. She didn't really want to go to him, not just because he wouldn't necessarily like it, but because she was afraid that Sybil would somehow find her.

Last year, Cress had visited her father during vacations, and once, she ran into her nanny while shopping at a local store.

It was horrid- Cress squeaked and dropped her groceries and sprinted away from the store, tears streaming down her face as a terrible voice called out her name.

Shaking the awful thoughts from her head, Cress started up her car. A few college students on her campus was gathering some money to rent the first two floors of a small house, and although the idea of being in a house with possibly some men bothered her, it didn't seem like there would be a problem. The students had posted a sheet on the campus commons' bulletin board, and people who were interested could sign up. Cress didn't recognize any of the names on the sheet, but she signed up anyway. The students were to bring their cash at the house, in order to pay it off in a month to the landowner. It depleted some of the money Cress had in her savings account, but she still had a steady job as an assitant at a computer software company. That would bring it up.

Cress googled the address on her phone, fumbling with the letters and numbers at first, but finally able to track it.

 _6 Blackburn Avenue._ What a peculiar street name.

Her motor roared as she pulled out of her school parking lot, suddenly feeling jittery. She was going to spend a whole month with some people. Strangers. Students.

She hoped she didn't make a fool of herself.

 **A/N: Yes, I will be continuing this...That would be a horrible ending if I stopped there. I hope to post the next parts up before Christmas, but if not, I'm sorry for the inconveniences.**


	4. Chapter 4- Thorne's Tiara

**A/N: Anon request on tumblr. Kai/Thorne friendship. Based off the quote, page 20 of Cress, "You can help me pick out a tiara when we're done saving the world." (I will hopefully put up the Cress Minnesota Part II next two update, I just finished this request first. Im also going to add in a Kiko special soon). Post-Winter.**

"Look! This one! It'll be perfect for her," Thorne exclaimed, stroking the gaudy tiara with his fingers. The crown glinted with the over-the-top rubies and gems, nearly blinding Kai. "Just look at this beauty," he whistled.

'Aces," muttered Kai. "Don't you think that's a little too much?"

Scoffing, Thorne turned around to face the emperor. "A little? She'll love it. Trust me, everyone loves what I give. Everyone."

"Are we talking about the same person? Do you even know what Cinder likes?" Kai frowned, and his eyes took in the expensive price tag. It wasn't necessarily the money that bothered him, though- after all he was emperor. It was more of the fact that he would be wasting money if Cinder didn't like the present. Or the fact that Cinder pretended to like the gift, but secretly hated it...The list went on and on. If he got her the wrong gift, it would be terrible.

"Of course. She loves everything I give her." He flashed a smile as Kai let loose a groan, stringing his hand through his black hair.

Right. Why did he choose Carswell Thorne, of all people, to help him choose a tiara for his girlfriend?

Kai and Thorne were on Earth, and having not seen each other in two months, had some 'bonding'.

Or whatever this was.

Looking for an Earthen tiara, to remind his long-distance girlfriend that New Beijing was the place for her. That he still missed her. Still wanted her.

Kai only wanted to be a good guy- he wanted to get a gift for Cinder's upcoming birthday. He was planning on getting something hilarious, something cute, something that had to do with inside-jokes…

When he had asked Thorne for help over their comm, Thorne had rushed straight to the palace, coming all the way from Los Angeles to New Beijing. Claiming that he knew just the thing to get her.

That was how they ended up in some too-pink-my-eyes-are-burning tiara store.

Kai was pretty sure this place was for young toddler girls, but when he checked the prices for some of the jewelry the store sold, his jaw dropped.

"If you're not getting her this, I might as well buy it," Thorne mused, scratching his chin. "She might like it better coming from me, anyway."

Kai glowered at him. "This costs more than a pretty penny, Thorne."

"Never said it didn't." Throne smirked, and he snatched the tiara from the shelf. "Definitely going to get it."

"No. Put it back."

"Hey, you're just jealous that you didn't find it first." Swaggering towards the counter where the bored clerks waited, Thorne flashed a charismatic smile back at Kai.

"Wait," Kai said as he quickly joined his friend in line, "you don't have any money. At least let me pay for you. You can pay me back later."

"Who says I don't have any money?" A glint flashed across his eyes. "Remember, my dear Emperor, the reward cash?"

"You ought to be more quiet. If people find out that you're the Carswell Thorne, you'll be screwed." Kai himself was incognito- wearing his thick gray hoodie, the hood covering the tips of his lashes and most of his bangs.

"I am in disguise! That's why I'm wearing some ugly hoodie you brought out for me," he huffed. Thorne was also decked in a plain sweatshirt, the hood well over his head as well.

"Quiet. If someone hears..." Heart pace quickening, Kai nervously checked out the store, praying to the stars that nobody had heard rambunctious Thorne.

"Ah, whatever," Thorne said as the customer before them finished paying her crown. They advanced in the line, and finally, Thorne paid for thetiara, using too much money to describe.

"Oh, she'll be ecstatic," added Thorne as the clerk wrapped up the crown with caution, folding thick sheets of bubble wrap over the costly jewels. The woman behind the counter placed it in a bag, the company logowritten in fancy script across it.

"C'mon now, let's get out of here," Kai said, beginning to get antsy. His guards were waiting outside, and Torin was in the hover a block away.

"Hey, relax! Nobody knows it's you, Your Silly Majesty."

The clerk that had assisted them gasped. "Oh my stars! It's the emperor!"

"No way!" a teenager squealed.

Holy spades. Silence took over the store.

He felt everyone's eyes on him. Thier stares fixed on Kai first, then adjusted to Thorne.

Two girls fainted.

The rest suddenly shrieked, screaming and fangirling, drooling and calling dibs on the _blonde ex-fugitive_ or the _emperor._

Thorne looked rather satisfied, saturating in the comments and winking at some of the many adorers.

Cursing, Kai yanked an unwilling Thorne by his arm, and they dashed, sprinting as their lungs burned.

"Guards!" Kai called, gesturing to the two men waiting outside of the shop, "stop these crazy people!"

He heard a grunt coming from them, and they stopped the overbearing, estrogen-filled girls, but Kai kept running anyway.

This was probably the most scariest thing that happened in his life. More scarier than the revolution.

With the bag flopping in Thorne's hands, Kai was afraid the gift would somehow break, but his fear of the crazy girls was stronger.

He couldn't have gotten in the hover fast enough.

* * *

Cinder smiled as Kinney tossed her the package.

"From your boyfriends," he said. She glanced down at the colorful wrapping paper. She had been expecting this- Thorne had commed her a day ago.

"Boyfriend," she corrected, "and one friend."

"Whatever. What's inside?"

"None of your business," she scowled, wanting privacy. Shebatted her guard away, and he reluctantly left her throne room.

Oh my stars.

He- they- remembered her birthday. Her fake one, that was. Not her real one. The adopted one. The Earthen one.

Her fingers twitched with excitement as she ripped the simple, brown paper open to reveal a box. In thick, black marker, someone had drawn a picture of a naked, lounging lady.

Thorne. She actually missed him.

Laughing, almost delirious from elation, Cinder tore open the box.

And inhaled.

A tiara, bubbled wrap tautly wound around it.

Wirecutters.

And a card.

Being practical, Cinder decided to read the card first. It was really too second-era- a card?- but she held the fine parchment in her fingers anyway. There was two sides to it- one side had very fine, script and sophisticated penmanship, the other chicken scratch.

She read Thorne's first, the left side of the card.

 **HEY CINDER! HAPPY BIRTHDAY, GREETINGS FROM EARTH!**

 **How's it going? i miss you., Cimder! i hope you know that i love you, too. And no matter what happens, i'll do anything to save you. i don't know about Kai, though. It's probably safer to be with me. (** **Just kidding!)** **But i really miss you. And so does Cress.**

 **Anyway, I hope that you're having fun with Iko. Eat some cake. (** **Do they even have cake on Luna?)**

 **Love,**

 **Your brother from another mother,**

 **CAPTAIN**

 **P.S- I know you're going to love the tiara i got you. Paid with my own cash! i had to go through a whole mob with Kai just to get it for you.**

Rolling her eyes, Cinder started to read Kai's note.

 _Cinder,_

 _How's Luna going? I hope everything's going fine. I really miss you. We all do, but I miss you the most._

 _Anyway, yes- I got you wire cutters._

 _I think that serves as much explanation as it already does. Code words for glamour, remember?_

 _If i could, I'd write a whole ten whopping paragraphs, but this tiny card and an annoyed Thorne won't let me. Call me on vidlink ASAP?_

 _~Kai_

Her heart melted with joy, despite the fact that he had not written a fancy 'love' on the card, as Thorne did. Perhaps he wasn't ready for that yet. Or maybe Thorne had somehow gotten rid of that before it was mailed out.

She smoothed out the card, tucking it back in the box. Her focus spun back to the gifts, and she unwrapped the silly crown.

Oh, holy spades.

He really did get her one, didn't he? That Thorne- Cinder remembered Scarlet's laughter and Wolf's glinting canines and Thorne's amusement that day in the Rampion as she made him trip…

She missed those days. Missed her friends.

The tawdry jewels and the pink sparkles and the white lace and the gemstones encrusted in the base of the crown… Almost meant for a child.

Even though the price tag was ripped off, Cinder had a feeling that it must've been expensive if Thorne mentioned the price. He was usually courteous about that. Maybe.

She nearly forgot the sound of his voice until this letter came up.

And stars-

Kai.

She chatted with him on vidlinks, but it wasn't the same, not at all. Laughing, Cinder held up the wirecutters, inspecting the fine work of the steel. Stars, she missed talking to Kai in the engine room of the Rampion. Snuggling with him, pretending everything was fine, teasing, laughing, and kissing. It was her little bubble in the war.

Then, the hilariously disturbing tiara. She placed the crown on her head, the unexpected weight of it beginning to give her a small headache.

It was her new favorite crown.

And her new favorite pair of wire cutters.


	5. Chapter 5- Cards

**A/N: Okay, this is actually part two to the Minnesota chapter. (Yep, I'll add the Kiko later. I'm also going to post my stories/drabbles in here from requests made on tumblr to me.) By the way, thanks for the support, guys. I appreciate you reading, reviewing, etc.**

The house was an average size, more tall than wide. White paint was chipping in several places, and the shutters were clinging for dear life on the panes of the structure. Other than that, though, it seemed to be a pretty pleasant place. Banks of snow surrounded the house, and the red roof was nearly covered with snow. Nervously, Cress took several deep breaths and collected her thoughts. She grabbed her mini suitcase, cautiously swung open the car door, then staggered to the front porch steps. Her nerves tingled with electricity, and…

She didn't even need to ring the bell.

A strong arm pried the door back, and her heart missed a beat. She squeaked.

A looming figure, all muscles, with an olive skin tone peered down at her with beady, jade irises. He squinted, and she shrunk, feeling like an insect pinned to a board. He was handsome and chiseled, with cheekbones and a jawline more prominent than ever. And, well, he towered her- the tallest person Cress had ever seen in her life. But that wasn't saying much, considering the fact that pretty much everyone towered her.

 _A romance hero_ , Cress thought.

"Who are you?" His voice was gruff, on the verge of growling.

Her mushy feelings dissipated, and she felt herself melting to a pile of goop. Oh, she was going to faint, no, no…

Without any notice, the man yanked her small figure in, mumbling something under his breath. He looked almost annoyed, and Cress flinched from his touch. "Scar? I think I found the last girl. Looks like she's going to faint."

"What'd you do this time?" a girl with curly red-black hair asked, teasing. Cress winced as she finally got inside of the house, and she hastily pulled back from the man. The young woman and man stared at her with curiosity.

Oh. Right. She should probably introduce herself.

"I'm Cress," she managed to say, hoping that she sounded at least somewhat normal. The man grunted. Her nerves fluttered under the scrutiny from his speculative glare.

"I'm Ze'ev, but everyone calls me Wolf," he said. He also had a slight Middle-Eastern accent, Cress noted, and there was this odd tattoo on his arm…

His arm. Oh. He was extending his arm out towards her.

"Oh. Hello," she said, shaking his large hand, which was more than twice the size of hers. The girl- the redhead- came over from the small kitchenette.

"And I'm Scarlet." The young woman didn't extend her hand, though. She was pretty, tall and slender yet curvy- making Cress feel rather self-conscious.

A heartbeat passed.

"Yes, like the hair," Scarlet added, almost like she was expecting Cress to point that out. Wolf and Scarlet shared a look, and he blushed.

He blushed? That man was capable of blushing?

Cress nodded, trying to bring herself back into reality. She was a daydreamer- of course he could blush. Of course. It wasn't like he was some monster.

"Oh." She shifted awkwardly with the luggage bag in her arm.

Silence filled them, and Scarlet then brought out her hand as an introduction. Cress timidly shook it, feeling awkward and mortified.

Then, a different voice, coming from somewhere else in the house. Oh, great- another person?

"Oh, hey. Thought I heard someone come in." A girl with brown, mousy hair stepped up. Her face was tan and bright, a healthy glow, and she had chocolate irises. She wore a baggy t-shirt and a pair of dirty cargo pants, but she couldn't have looked more confident.

The epitome of courage, it seemed. Cress shrunk back, still standing awkwardly by the doorway of the house.

The brunette looked like the type of person who could pull off a revolution.

"Hi," Cress mumbled, looking down at her feet.

"My name is Cinder," she said, waving her hand, not making a move to reach her arm out.

Something glinted, and...A prosthetic? On her hand? Cress blinked, but her attention was swerved to someone else.

"Or, you can call her Selene." A guy walked in, coming from the room Cinder had emerged from, his hair a chestnut hue and his eyes a glaring copper. Cinder glared at him, but he only grinned. Cress squeaked, wanting more than anything to just disappear. Light and cheery face, tall yet not as huge as Ze'ev. "Name's Kai."

He was beautiful. _A prince._

"This is Cress," Scarlet said, bringing her attention back. Biting her lip, Cress attempted a quick wave to everyone, and she ignored how her legs were shaking, ready to pop off.

"I'll show you your room. Cinder and Scarlet share one, and Wolf and I are in one. You're lucky enough to have one by yourself," Kai winked, gesturing to Cress.

Her feet did not move. She did not follow him.

They were planted to the floor, and her nerves were jittering like crazy.

 _Why, why, why did she decide to do this?_

Cress knew she was socially awkward. Introverted, even. She did not do well with people- she had to get to know them for some time before warming up.

A whole month.

She would spend a whole month with them, then Cress would use this apartment for all other breaks- semester gaps, spring breaks, etc…

She thought it would be worth it- renting a place for some time and coming back whenever she felt like it, and if her dorm was too boring to be in, Cress could always come out here to relax.

Cress had _thought_ it would be a great opportunity.

Breathing deeply, she slowly nodded, and Cress gripped- more like throttled- her suitcase handle and ignored the loud squeaks it made as she trailed behind Kai. She pretended that everyone wasn't staring at her. No, they were. They were staring at her in awe. Because she was a star. She was walking down an aisle for a supermodel show. She was not meeting random people, people that could harm her…

Cress gulped.

Smiling, Kai asked her a question, but her ringing ears didn't catch it.

"What?" she asked softly, shivering even though she was wearing two winter, downy- feathered coats.

"I asked if you needed help with your luggage?"

Cinder, Scarlet, and Wolf dispersed, sitting around the kitchen counter, playing card games. Cress looked at them, admiring their ease to socialize and…Her attention was head snagged back to Kai.

"Oh, no, it's okay."

"Alright. Your room is the one down this hall," he pointed, "on the left."

"Thanks," she muttered, walking down as Kai went to join the others in the game.

Cress sighed as she finally pushed open the door, and she collapsed on the bed. The room smelled faintly like somebody had sprayed it with _Febreeze_ or some other flowery product, and Cress wafted the air as much as she could.

And then she began to laugh. Hysterically, deliriously. Relieved.

And cry.

What was she going to do? Was this a terrible mistake?

She wiped the tears off her cheeks, and her short-lived laughter disappeared. What was wrong with her?

Cress pulled out her laptop from her suitcase, typing in her long passcode and then managing to get a hold of the internet access. There were a few available servers, but the one that had the strongest connection was locked.

A Wi-Fi password- secure.

Cress didn't want to go back out there. To see them again, to ask them for help, to stumble around and wait for one of them to type the code in…

It would be torturous.

Grinning almost deviously, Cress typed in codes, attempting to find out what the password was, working on finding the password…

Four minutes.

The Wi-Fi password was accepted. She got through the loophole. All those lessons of code Sybil made her memorize. Sybil, cruel yet teaching Cress and filling her with tons of knowledge, years of studying computers. Worth it.

Successfully, Cress sat up straighter on the bed, then began to search for Christmas gifts on a few online sites.

She would order things only for her dad, of course. Perhaps Cress would buy a new bath robe, maybe a new phone case, or get him a nicer pair of glasses frames.

Her fingers halted their browsing on the keyboard.

She was going to order this, correct?

So...it would be mailed here?

Of course. Why wouldn't it be? Cress huffed to herself.

Or would she make it be mailed over to her father's, in Florida?

Cress pondered. She certainly didn't want to meet her father again, not that she didn't love him, or that he didn't love her, but- It would be a bit awkward. He was too busy, and whenever she brought up the courage to talk to him over the phone, he would end curtly.

She knew that they loved each other...It just wasn't a necessarily ideal relationship.

Finally, Cress decided that the mailing address would be to _6 Blackburn Avenue._

Unless...What if the landlord picked them up? Surely she would give the orders to Cress?

The landlord. Right, Cress nearly forgot that she was renting this place. She would have to give her fair share.

Grumbling, she sat up, fished the envelope with the money in it, mustered up her little courage, and opened the door to her room. Walking past the corridor, making sure her steps were soft…

"Hello again." Wolf peeked his head up from his cards.

"Wanna join us? We're playing a card game," Kai said.

"Obviously we're playing a card game," Cinder retorted. She looked at Cress. "Need something?"

"Er...I have...the money." She handed the envelope to her.

"Thanks. Cress, right?"

"Yep," she said as Cinder took the cash away.

"Yeah, I'll have to give this to my aunt. The landlord."

"Oh, she's your aunt?"

"A terrible one, at that," Scarlet mumbled.

Something slithered down Cress's spine.

"Um…" Pursing her lips, Cress crossed her eyebrows in confusion.

"She's pretty awful," Kai admitted. "We're lucky to be renting this place. Winter, her daughter, was able to get across for letting us use this house. Cinder's cousin."

"Oh."

"You can play with us, if you want. We're playing _Spoons."_

"No...I'll watch."

They resumed back to their card game. Laughing and whooping. Smiling. _Normal_ _stuff._

A moment passed, and Cress felt her cheeks burn.

"Um, if I order something…"

No response. She was too quiet.

" _Excuse me,_ " she tried again, finding her voice. She blinked when Wolf's stare cut into hers. "Um, well, I was wondering about the package deliveries. Will the landlord-"

"Levana. Call her Levana," Cinder said.

"Er, will Levana pick up the orders I make? I want to order stuff online for my dad."

"No, it'll be fine. She's away this week, actually. Thank God," added Cinder.

"Yeah, it'll be here if you order it. But make sure it comes before she does," Wolf muttered.

 _But make sure it comes before she does…_

Scowling, Scarlet hit Wolf's arm. "You're creeping everyone out."

Everyone, as in Cress.

Scarlet faced Cress. "Cinder's brother is pretty popular in town. He drives a UPS truck, and he'll be the one to drop your items off."

"Ugh, don't mention it. He thinks he knows all the fancy tricks that a guy can know, but he's only an amatuer. Seriously, I'm surprised that Mom let him become a UPS driver."

"Your mom said it was a temporary job," Kai pointed out.

"Channary could care less about him. She wants me to take over the beauty company she runs. Gross," she grimaced. Cinder shifted her chair around the counter, and she folded her cards.

Slowly, Cress began to feel out of place. Her feet backed away, and she walked to her room, simply wanting to sleep.

 **A/N: Alright. Something tells me that this is going ot be a rather long story. I'm debating on whether or not I should make it a full-length, separate thing?**


	6. Chapter 6- Dark Sun

**A/N: A dark sort of SUNNY DAY. Jacinter. TLC Shipweek Day One. Jacin's dream. (Quote at the beginning from page 18 of Winter).**

 _She was not a girl of ice and glass at all, but of sunshine and stardust..._

There's a mirror in the room.

The room is gray, and dull, with hardly any light at all. There are some odd marks along the walls, black lines and scratches- indications that perhaps someone was here before. It's eerily quiet, and rather dim, but he sees something out of the corner of his peripheral vision. Something bright and welcoming in the dreary room, where light of suns emit from.

Glass. A mirror.

The mirror, immensely taller than any Earthen or Lunar, is what causes Jacin to shudder in his sleep. Not only is it at such a great height, but it's wide and thick. Grand and tawdry, it's bejeweled with bloody-red rose stones, sapphires that originated from the oceans, honey-gold crystals, and encrusted diamonds. Amethyst peeks out of each corner of the frame, glistening like dew drops on the leaf of a delicate flower. The mirror glitters, and it's beauty is unspeakable; Jacin can't even breathe. Even leaning so casually in the corner, it boasts of its importance, an importance greater than anyone can perceive. Then there's suddenly a wind that courses throughout the gray room, whispering out three bone-chilling words. He needs to listen hard to hear, and he cranes his neck, trying to find the source of the voice. Three words, he hears. Three words.

 _Come to me._

Drawn like a weak magnet, he has no option but to do what he is told. It's beckoning him to come, and the voice is so enticing. It tests his strength while innocently bringing him close, close, close. Jacin crawls towards it, compelled by the grandeur of the mirror and its frame, and it looks so new and shiny and perfect to gaze into...The vanity glistens and gleams like treasures and jewels overflowing from a chest.

He is a bit wary at first, but then a sound reverberates from the mirror. A sickly sweet voice, like too-strong, old-lady perfume, or candy that swells his teeth and gums because it was dipped in too many coats of sugar and molasses.

Shivering under his blanket, Jacin tosses and turns. It doesn't feel right. This doesn't feel right at all.

But it's his dreams, his illusions.

And thus, he staggers towards the mirror in his illusion, and his pace accelerates as the voice speaks more and more. The words are a blur though- new words that now he can't make out. The speaker's noise, feminine and lilting.

Once Jacin reaches about five feet from the mirror, he can make out the words. She speaks again, like now she is finally allowing him to comprehend what she is saying since he is already drawn too close. The voice- so familiar...

She speaks of a season- an Earthen season. A time of cold and death, a time of melting and renewal. Snow and ice and shivering and innocence marred.

 _"_ Winter," it- she- hisses. "Winter..." The words are constantly being spewed from the mirror. Mirrors cannot speak in reality, and it's not right, but Jacin takes steps forward, towards the deserted glass mirror.

Winter.

And finally, he dares to crouch down on his knees and he dares to look into the mirror. He expects wide pupils and pristine uniform and wheat hair, but no- far from that. His familiar face isn't there.

A woman, pale and elongated face with cheek bones that make him cry. Her auburn, wavy hair flying behind her dramatically, sweeping the ground beneath his feet. She has a strong bone underneath her ski-slope nose, and he wants to feel it. Her lips, wider than any valley, is like a crescent moon ready to destroy all the planets. Eyes the hue of liquid amber, digging and delving past his flesh. He can see a bit of her pale, nude neck in the glass too, and it's milky with a graceful collar bone that he wishes to caress.

He screams in horror in his dream, and perhaps in real life, snarling at the same time. With his feet and hands, he scrambles away the way one would if they danced too close to the embers, and he yells and yelps and cries out for help, help, help. Physical pain, along with emotional and mental pain, burns his skin and zaps his skull. Flecks of bright, white spots fly across his vision. But there is no else there but him.

Him, and _her._ Nobody will help save him.

Her. Oh, stars- her. She cackles like a maniac, screeching and sounding possessed with demons and death.

"Winter!" she booms- it's the sickly sweet voice that trapped him. It's her. He watches the mirror in straight out revulsion, and he backs away from it. "Winter! Winter!" The words echo and escape from her lips, and he screams till his lungs feel like they've been deflated, and he tries to avoid seeing the white shark-teeth in her mouth. Her bright red coal tongue is flashing with every shriek, and his ears pound with rushing blood. He screams again, attempting to escape, attempting...futile attempts...

Something happens.

A distortion ripples across the glass, the image of the past queen wavering a bit like a broken holograph. He screams again. Another flash across the mirror where her face is presented, then another, and sudden bright light that blinds him- white and hot and startling.

Jacin blinks back rapidly and his mouth is now sealed shut. There is no choice but to shut his eyes, and he gives in- darkness covering the mirror's flare. And her voice stops echoing, but there's something replacing it. Terrible noises- like witch nails on a second-era chalk board, scraping across and shattering jars and vases. Curiosity infringes his thoughts, and fear begins to overcome him again. His eyelids flip open slowly.

There is no more of that startling, white light. None at all. For the mirror has burst into pieces, shards and glass scattered everywhere- surrounding him from all directions. It had broke, and the glass skidded across the room, no longer in the frame of the mirror. So the mirror frame is empty without it- nothing in it. No more glass, it seems. But there's something radiating off it; heat waves are palpable and too warm like a sun ready to explode. He gets up and steps onto the glass, cracking it with his steady shoes, and he stupidly peers into the frame. He can't help himself- his ignorant, idiotic self- and discovers that a new face is there.

A new light, happy and enough to make someone yearn but not enough to make someone wince. A girl with chocolate skin and wide, topaz-bright eyes and a genuine, close-lipped smile looks up at him through the frame. Her face is so much different than the woman's before; this girl is so innocent and sincerely beautiful. Her hair is bouncy and reminds him of the word _laughter_ and _light-hearted_ , and she has a natural glow emitting from her. She smiles then, then, then.

When she smiles- oh, stars. In all galaxies, blasting comets and shooting asteroids and space rocks halt their accelerations, moving in slow motion as her cheeks lift and fold to form the sweetest dimples, her pearly white teeth exposed. She whispers one word on her lips, and they fill him with limitless honey and warmth and days full of suns and hope.

"Jacin," a voice, timid yet confident, says. Sparks and electricity burn against his skin, and he wants to lean in to touch her, but something is holding him back. She's so tangible- right in front of him and so alive and perfect- and he wants to reach in and pluck her out from the frame like picking a daisy from a garden. Heart beating quicker, he forces himself to peek his head through the frame, then his entire neck. He wants to close the distance between them- now a few inches separate their lips- but he can't make himself do it. She is waiting there, waiting for his first move, sitting patiently and full of sangfroid as he moves in even closer.

Warnings and qualms fill his mind, cluttering his thoughts. His instincts are telling him that something is wrong- something is off, but he ignores the cautions and angles his head towards hers. His lips inch and he closes his eyes and they're about to merge together with passion...

A firm structure ices over and hits his mouth, suddenly appearing and so disturbing. It's glass, and it's hard and cold and in the way. His lips curl in disgust. Winter stares at him, face blank and eyes without their twinkling and lips closed. She has no reaction. He shivers, and his breathing begins to come out all ragged and huffy; his cheeks are bright red and flushed from anger or cold, or perhaps both. A wail courses through the room, and he thinks it might have been from him.

It's all in his mind.

Another one of those illusions- hallucinations that she used to have. And with that, he scrambles away from the deceiving mirror, and his hands cut into the glass with damp blood that slowly begins to devour him and drown Jacin.

The scratches on the walls of the gray room- indications that someone was here in this room before- they focus in his mind before he gags and succumbs. The black marks? He finds that they spell out two words, words familiar in his dreams and even more so in real life. _Winter. Levana._


	7. Chapter 7- Horror Hollywood

**A/N: Classic Hollywood Theme. When Winter finds out her dad is dead, and the funeral that ensues.**

Her ears rang and rang and rang, the echoes of the shots bouncing off the walls. Terror clawed at her as not one, but _four_ gunshots coursed through the palace.

Screaming, and terrified, Winter fell out of her bed. The heavy blankets bundled her up, and she was cocooned in a mess. Quickly, as soon as she gathered her thoughts, Winter untangled herself. And then she fled. Her only thought: _Father_. Her lungs ached as she ran down the corridors with no shoes or socks on, and she screeched as loud as she could.

This was no dream, no movie, no net-drama. This was reality.

Her heart leaped out of her throat as she flung open the door to his room, and then it sank back down, buried in despair and agony.

She cried like someone was stabbing a knife through her heart and driving it in there till she died. She cried like the world was tipping beneath her feet and disappearing into fog. She cried like her father _died._

Evert Hayle, a good man. Guard. Father.

Lying there. Dead, and blood was coating her stepmother and several areas of the bedroom. Red and rust. A vaguely familiar other man- a thaumaturge?- with a dagger deep in his chest, slumped against a wall.

Images that would haunt Winter for the rest of her life.

Images that would scar her till the day she was to die.

As soon as her stepmother, crying and bloody, was yanked from her father's side by Mira Sybil, Winter lunged.

She gripped her dad, internally disgracing her stepmother for using up the last few seconds of his life. Winter could have said something to him then, could have kissed him once more when he could have felt the sensation, but Levana had soaked that time up.

Either way, though, Winter couldn't say a word to him. Only shrieked, mad and irate and perplexed. Kept shrieking. Kept crying.

Dead. He was dead, somehow, and Winter would never be able to see him again. The laughter and hearty chuckle. The flash of his genuine smile. The warmth he brought, along with hugs and kisses.

And then, Mira Sybil started to pry Winter off him too.

Thrasing and fighting, Winter attempted to keep the thaumaturge's hands at bay, but it was futile.

Her dad was dead.

* * *

Jacin hadn't faced Winter at all during the funeral.

She suspected as much; he seemed to be upset too. He was clad in a stiff, gray uniform, and she would have laughed at him, but she didn't feel like it.

The ceremony was long, and rather dreary, but it finally concluded to a slow clap from the audience, and the raising of the casket brought to the stage. Winter restrained herself from flinging to the stage and opening the casket. She so badly wanted to see her father's face one last time, but she controlled herself. Pretended that she was glued to her seat.

People began to disperse as soon as the doors opened, and a man boomed the words f _east and party here._ Winter looked around, seeing the room slowly becoming empty.

But Winter remained.

And then the angry thought struck her again. Levana wasn't even here.

What a wife.

Winter's stepmother was still in mourning, like Winter herself, but she had been so shaken up that she locked herself in her own chambers. Only let a servant in to bring her food and water.

Levana should have at least come out for the funeral.

Or maybe her stepmother wasn't that sad. Maybe she was guilty.

Theories were already out, whispers among the court. _Levna planned it all. The queen was going mad. She asked Thaumaturge Haddon to do the deed. Promised him something._

Winter shivered. She didn't know why these things things happened, not yet, but she simply pretended that everything was fine. She fisted bunches of her gray skirt into her little hands, then stood up, ready to head back to her chambers.

"Princess Winter." A voice startled the princess, and for a second she thought it was her dad- but no, he was dead. And anyway, he never really addressed her as 'princess'.

She swiveled around, and a familiar face peered down at her.

Garrison Clay, Jacin's dad.

"Hello. Is there something you needed?" she asked. She didn't even try to smile, for her spirit was down so low. Winter noticed Jacin hiding behind his father. His shaggy, blond hair clung to his dad's back.

"I'm so sorry for everything. Your loss...must be so great...We still love him." An awkward pause. Garrison cleared his throat. "Would you like to join us for something to eat?"

A sad hiccup fell from her mouth, and she tried to stifle it. Surprisingly, she hadn't let a single tear escape during the funeral, but now that he mentioned her loss, Winter felt like sobbing.

Jacin's mom stood up from where she was sitting, and Winter noticed her flushed, teary cheeks. "Yes, dear, join us?"

Then, Jacin extended his hand out to her, and solemnly, Winter accpepted it. His hand was warm and strong, and she almost felt her worries dissipate.

She wanted to pretend that she was in an awful movie, a terribly horrifying net-drama. One of those second-era, disturbing movies that her father once laughed at as he said _This is a classic, it really is._

But her father wouldn't say that anymore.

She wished that this was only one of those classic horror movies. Really did.


	8. Chapter 8- Hero Hum

**A/N: A little poem with our senses, for our heroes.**

Hero Hum

There's an emperor growing weary, his insomnia taking over as his shoulders ache with a nation.

Swoon over the man and hang a photo of him smiling on a wall, but he can tell you that that smile was fake.

But look at the bags under his eyes while lifting the curtain of black bangs, and press a kiss to his lips at a festival with a mad and beautiful queen.

There's a beast becoming lost, his senses crumbling as a vital mission comes.

A cacophonous cry to the ones who know that he's a beast, the ones who think he is.

But hear his thoughts screaming _blood and flesh_ while a flash of a red hoodie infringes his brain on a maglev train.

There's a fugitive with a cocky smile hanging off his dreamy lips, all sangfroid and smart in prison and in a ship and in a desert.

Sigh as he winks and makes a dashing escape with a Lunar, for he must be perfect, must know what real love is?

But smell the cologne he once sprayed to cover his qualms as he treks with sand covering miles and miles as love is confessed, as he struggles with his own troubles.

There's a guard running and racing, panting and protecting- all on the inside as his stone mask of a face is never cracked.

Lower-class and weak-minded, just another pretty face to mock.

But touch his pale, snowy skin as the temperature spikes to hot from his blush when his lips touch an ice-girl's in a menagerie.

Strong and will-minded, unbreakable; who sees the emperor's shadow on Luna?

Snarling and sympathetic, protective; who hears the beast's laughter flutter?

Side of a blossoming flower and sharp; who smells the fugitive's breath of kisses?

Stern yet soft, rising sun in a smile or a hiss for the one; who feels the guard's warmth?

The tangible riots of their labels: leader, monster, thief, protector, they are so much more, so much.

Palpable waves of heat and vigor float from our heroes, so sweet and sour one can taste the hum.


	9. Chapter 9- Snowy Day

**A/N: Continued to the last part of the Minnesota AU fanfic, Chapter 5- Cards. Thanks for all the reviews!**

 _Ugh._ Cress shivered underneath the thin, blue blanket. Rolling around on the bed, she shifted to her side, and she let loose a wince as her long locks got wrapped around her waist.

The irritating, roaring noise of coffee beans being crushed in the morning was not what Cress was looking forward to. Her first night at the landlord's house wasn't that bad- she slept late but sound. The others had slept around the same time she did; Cress heard their 'goodnights' before they went to bed.

Wow. She was such a loser. Cress, socially awkward, didn't even talk to Cinder, Scarlet, Kai, and Wolf after that uncomfortable 'if-I-order-packages-will-they-come' thing. Sighing, she sat up on her bed, rubbed at her eyes, and decided to redeem herself. Perhaps if she tried to fit in and be more open, things would get better. She wouldn't dread her decision on coming to this house for Winter Break then. Maybe. She should go over to kitchen and say 'good morning', or a 'hi' at the very least.

A soft yawn escaped her lips, and Cress ruffled her long hair up into a messy pile with an elastic, but the band snapped and her hair fell past her hips again. Cress dangled her legs over the bed and tried again. And again. And-

Impatient, she stood up and peered into a mirror by the bedside drawer. Her face was groggy, but her eyes were lucid enough to make out her hair- which was an utter tornado. Cress bent down to grope for her brush in her suitcase, and she yanked the tines through her ringlets, trying to untangle all of the strands.

After about ten minutes, the result was a fuzzy and frizzy blonde poof. Luckily, there was a little bathroom in her room, and Cress took advantage of that. No walking out and accidentally bumping into someone. She shuddered- that would be terror.

Deciding that she would take a shower later, Cress tucked her overgrown locks behind her ears, doing the best she could for now. She quickly brushed her teeth, and as her stomach roared in anticipation for food, headed out of the room.

The aroma of warm coffee and hot chocolate invaded her nostrils. She wondered who was up so early making drinks for everyone- Kai? It seemed like he was a genuinely generous person.

She rounded the hall, expecting to meet someone with a cup in their hands. And maybe a platter of cookies on a table. Cress didn't realize how hungry she was until now.

But…

Kai wasn't there. Nor Wolf, Cinder, or Scarlet.

A different man was in the kitchen, his figure leaning against the table. His rigid back faced hers, and all she could make out was that he was fit and tall. She could also see the wisp of some tousled hair on his head. Her heart leaped, wondering what a stranger was doing here. Was he the last person to join them? Would he stay here?

Cautiously, Cress looked down at her bare feet, wiggling her toes. She should say something. He still hadn't turned around yet to face her.

Mustering up all of her courage, she cleared her throat, ridding of the butterflies at the base of her stomach.

"Er...Excuse me…"

Oh.

 _Oh._

When he turned around, everything couldn't have been faster, and everything couldn't have been slower.

He was lean. perhaps even muscular- she could see the outline of his taut abs underneath his tight Under Armor shirt. The man had swiveled around in surprise. A warm, heavenly face looked down- no, more a bit too high- at her with amusement, like he couldn't tell where she was. He was tan and a beauty. Irises glistened with charm, and there was a faint mark of hot chocolate on his upper lip. His hands held a red mug, and he was probably drinking out of it before she interrupted him. Chiseled jawline and a graceful slope to his nose. An angel's halo was his hair, light and impeccably in place.

He was, to simply put it, the most handsome human being Cress had ever seen in her entire life time.

And then…

"Hello," Cress started. She whimpered, feeling tiny underneath the man's scrutiny.

"Oh, hey." His eyes were still narrowing at her. The speculative glare he brought reminded Cress that she was no match. Reminded her that she was pathetic- she was clad in a little, pale pink nightgown with a hole in the collar, and her hair was a mess, and she wasn't even five foot...

Cress stumbled back, more shocked than him, and fell to her knees as she made a loud squeak. His face contorted into an apology.

A sharp intake of a breath came from him. "Are you alright?" Slowly, he staggered closer to her.

Suddenly hyper-aware of the fact that she actually fell from the presence of him, Cress nodded, still on the wood-panelled floor. Her cheeks burned and she felt tears spring to her eyes. "I'm fine...Just...stumbled…" She bit her lip, feeling worthless.

What a fool she was. Just like her nanny always said- _Crescent, dear, you'll find your place in the world. The place being death, if you keep it up with you stupidity._ Mistress Sybil's scowl and her words had once stung Cress, and they always would- the haunting woman she was.

 _I'm a college student. I'm successful and smart. And I'm not lying on the floor in front of an angel. This is a bad dream, and it'll all go away if I just..._ Whimpering, Cress scooted away from the man's outreaching hand.

"Here. Need help?" He flashed a smile as his extended arm dangled towards her. But, the arm was too off to the side. Frowning and wondering if it was a hoax, Cress stood up on her own, and the man managed a cheeky grin.

Cress was sure her heart stopped.

"I like you. You seem like the independent type, you know, not like one of those spoiled princesses. What's your name?" He was a good head taller than her, but he was not at all menacing.

"We could all use a few damsels _not_ in distress," Cress mumbled.

Oh, shoot.

Did she actually say that out loud?

Wincing, Cress shook her head. "No, I mean...um…" The man brushed it off.

"I'm Captain Carswell Thorne," he said, flippantly winking at her. Cress inhaled sharply, feeling her nerves flutter as her face melted into a goopy mess. He was a captain?

"Oh. Oh." Taking a deep breath, Cress nodded. "Crescent, er- Cress. I'm Cress," she squeaked.

"Nice to meet you, miss," he said. "Now, would you like a cup of coffee?"

Cress couldn't speak anymore. She nodded once, biting her lip. Then, she let out a soft squeak when he didn't respond.

"That's what I thought."

He turned around to pour some into another cup, and her curiosity wavered.

"Um...Who are you exactly?"

"Oh! I'm your fairy godfather," he smiled. He paused from his pouring, and he looked up.

Silence. Cress studied his face, which looked a bit unfocused.

"That was supposed to be a joke...but yeah, I'm Cinder's brother." He continued pouring the liquid, cautiously, and then handed it to her. She took the cup, relishing in the warmth it brought to her palms.

"Thanks," she muttered. Then, recognition hit Cress, and she remembered the conversation she had with the others yesterday- he drove a UPS truck… "Oh- brother." She paled, and her legs shook. Smartly, she sat on the chair by the table. And then, he joined her, making Cress feel all the more uneasy.

"I don't recognize your voice. You go the the same college as her?"

"Er...yes, I do. We probably don't have the same majors." Cress thought back to Cinder- she wouldn't be caught dead with a computer. She was probably majoring in politics or more important, cooler things.

Carswell's gaze dipped down on Cress's face, and she blushed, feeling self-conscious. She looked away towards the window, feeling her face warm, and then gasped. She dropped the mug on the table, grateful for no spills.

"Is it snowing? Oh!" Abruptly, Cress tumbled out of her seat and rushed to the front window, sighing with joy. "Oh, oh, oh!"

"Gah," he mumbled. "Is it?" Still, he was sitting at the table. Of course he couldn't see from there.

"Come, look!" Cress, momentarily forgetting the fact that she was wearing a short, ugly nightgown, jumped up happily like she was prettier than a fairy. The flecks of the starting white flurries of happy flakes fell from the heavens, and Cress beamed. She loved to spot the morning snowfall- it was part of her routine. Her spirits rose, and she felt almost confident that this moment was nearly perfect.

Until…

"Look, you seem really sweet...But I actually can't see it."

"Yeah, come on, I'll-"

"I'm blind." A sad, dry grin stretched across his face. "Sorry."

Cress started, feeling humiliated. She spun on him, shocked and repulsed. _No._

"What?"

"Yep. Not born, thank goodness. Blind about a year ago." The man shrugged, almost like he was going to laugh. Why, Cress couldn't fathom. She knew about blindness- her father was a doctor, after all.

"But, how can you...I'm so…"

"How can I function this well?" he laughed, cracking his knuckles. "You're so sorry?" Again, Carswell laughed, making Cress feel insignificant and naive. "Not your fault. Not your trouble."

Aghast, Cress stood there, frozen like an icicle. She wanted to apologize, wanted to take back her thoughts about caring what she looked like in front of him, wanted to make him see…

Wait- what if this was a joke?

Before Cress could ponder the thought, a voice cut through.

"So, I'm assuming you've met my oh-so-charming brother?" Cinder, with her messy brown ponytail and her baggy clothing, stepped into the kitchen.


	10. Chapter 10- A Butterfly's Settle

**A/N: KIKO :) Written for TLC Ship Weeks Day 1 of Week Three- Net-Drama Theme. (also found on tumblr on thelunar-ckswctwj)**

 _A Butterfly's Settle_

there was no way to say it, she hissed.

a robot-girl, am I, she snarled.

if a moon settles beneath a sky, how can I settle beneath a guy? she asked.

she wonders when the wind will cease.

he tells her she will never be pleased.

the robot makes her mind.

a butterfly can't even decide.

…

when she speaks, he can't see anymore and his laughter is drier than sand.

when she caresses, he can't breathe anymore and his body is as stiff as a board.

when she kisses, he can't think anymore and his heart is at twelve o' clock.

but there are ups and downs, and he can't survive.

if she could fly, he'd watch on a cloud, then disappear with a blush.

…

so if a blue bird flees,

he will make sure to see.

never understanding what's between them,

a life of a star, a life of a maniac, a life that fell upside down-

a drama that will end with no seasons.


	11. Chapter 11- Tickling Thorne

**A/N: Can be found on tumblr already (sorry for not being too creative, but I thought you guys deserved a quick and cute Cresswell/Thress drabble) This was for theimportanceofbeingstefany on tumblr. Fluffy Cresswell- I made it a 'ticklish' theme. (Also: in response to the lovely anon/guest who reviewed asking about the Minnesota fic- Yes, I'm going to make that into a new story. In progress. Thanks for asking :) )**

"No. Nononono," she gasped, squirming away from him. Her feet scooted away from him- as far as she could- until her back hit the bed post.

Oh.

She was doomed.

"What? I can't hear you," taunted Thorne, a smirk playing on his lips as his fingers zoomed up and down her body.

"Stop. _Thorne._ STOP!" she squealed, smacking his hands. Her laughter was coming out in ragged giggles, and her heart was racing with adrenaline.

"C'mere," he laughed, scooping up Cress with little difficulty.

"Let go!" she shrieked as her laughter grew in size, and she panted and panted, gasping and giggling. The blanket on the bed quickly fell to the floor, and he tucked her ontop of him.

She was having trouble breathing, not just because she was so ticklish, but because she was literally sitting on his lap.

His hands slowed their pace on her back, and they traversed towards her neck, and then back down to her hips…

Cress involuntarily squeaked, her laughter gone and now her heart pumping nervously and fluttering, like a lost bird missing a wing.

"Cress?" he asked softly, his hands beginning to wind themselves around her small form.

Tucking a strand of her cropped hair behind her ear, she finally breathed. "Yes, Captain?"

"I knew you were ticklish."

And with that, Thorne's lips attacked hers, coming out of nowhere. His large mouth blanketed hers, and their kiss was furious- passionate.

Fervently, Cress snaked her fingers up in his hair, and he clutched her till she felt like she was going to disappear.

Thorne fell back on the bed, his back first, and Cress licked her lips against his, and she dove for him.

Not just kissing.

But tickling as well.

Between kisses, Thorne let loose several chuckles as Cress played with him, trying his lower back and then his neck...resting finally on his belly. Her hands did their job- battling him with tickles while pressing little kisses everywhere on him.

"Cress," he breathed. "Stop."

No. She needed a little bit of revenge.

Her fingers began to work faster, act faster, and his laughter was insane. Thorne suddenly jumped up from beneath her, and his eyes were wide.

"Holy spades, Cress. I never knew you could also be a rather good tickler." His expression- relief from not being tickled anymore and something close to awe. She giggled, swinging her legs over onto the bed.

"I never thought you'd be ticklish."

And then, as it always led back to- Cress inched closer to him, and Thorne grinned. His lips found hers again, and they decided to keep it that way, without any tickles this time.


	12. Chapter 12- Windy Rose

**A/N: Windy Theme- Wolflet/Scarolf/Warlet**

Windy Rose

"Scar," he starts, but the name slips from his lips, and she's a red blur, sprinting out the door.

"I've already delayed the crops twice, Z. I can't push it back anymore," she calls as she throws on her hoodie. He easily matches her pace, taking long strides by her side.

"You can wait," he tries, but it's futile.

"You're only saying that because you want time with me. Well, you spend time with me by planting them." She glares at him, so he gives her a fleeting, apologetic smile.

"There's always the android farmers," says Wolf, just wanting Scarlet to stop fretting and to nestle on top of him like a curled cat upon a sofa.

She glowers at him. "Like they can do it better than me." Huffing dryly, Scarlet continues to run to the gardens, and despite her irked face, she looks so pretty. The irritated pretty- the one he's grown accustomed to- with flushed cheeks from the slapping wind and her hair whipping around her cheekbones and her curvy form tall in defiance. He watches her bend down to plant the new seeds, and she's cursing under her breath because she choose the wrong day to do it; it's too windy. Giving her a look like _I-told-you-so,_ Wolf crosses his arms. But she rolls her eyes in response and grabs a deserted shovel to start digging. And she's never been so beautiful- he always says that but in this moments she's mesmerizing- her form crouched down and intent on making it work, her brow creased in determination, her collarbone jutting out as her neck cranes downwards, and her hair crazy-beautiful.

Her hair can be like that- tossed by the harsh winds that the rugged countryside brings. Sometimes he thinks that he just wants to stuff his face in it- smell the enticing scent of her hair and be lost in the sea of red. He wants to breathe it in and memorize it like a song at the back of his head. He wants to put her on shuffle, listen to her rambling and her promises and see and feel her forever till his port battery is drained. He thinks that he can drown himself and inhale her forever, until he gets drunk and choked on the love.

When the wind lifts the curtain of curls from her pale face, she looks awfully vulnerable. So fragile yet strongly beautiful, ready to cry and crush the world. A rose- he realizes. A delicate, red rose with petals so soft to touch and so irresistible, but protected with talons a viper stem.

She's like that, he thinks. So sensitive that she builds up walls of stubbornness around her, trying to block out the winds that creep past spaces she can't fill.

The wind can get the best of her, at times. He knows that for sure. She can be hurt, but she tries not to let it get to her, but it does.

After all, Scarlet is only a girl.

Only? _Only?_ A cry of hysteria- he winces with the thought and she looks back at him curiously, but she continues working.

"You gonna help?" she asks. He bends down next to her, and easily finds himself tangled. Her head is full of red, tumultuous loose coils and leaves from nearby trees. His fingers are restless, searching her up and down and up and down as she works.

She's his alpha, stronger than any wind, and she can bring down those whispers if she wants to.

She's perfect with her flaws and mistakes, and he loves the way her hair complies into an impeccable knot when the wind whooshes past her while farming. Her influence always passes around him, lifting him off his feet and aweing him. He can never get enough wind, and he wants more of the slapping nature element and his eyes sting; the bitterness envelops him again. She's like the wind, she's his alpha, forceful and soft and protective and determined. A scar among his lips, and she will never stop bringing him more of the love.

That's when he gently takes the seed packet from her hand- the one without a human pinky, and he smiles softly. She's mumbling and grasping for them, but he's got hold of them.

"Wait." He places a finger to her lips, and she snarls- the fierce wind she is.

"Give it back, or else you're not going to get any tomatoes this season." Her arms are prying the seed packet from his whitened knuckles, but he holds on tight.

"Just once," he mutters. A flicker of confusion passes her face, but before she can fully react, he shocks her into a kiss, breaking a shell and unraveling taut talons from a rose. Exploding caramel seeps out from the little nest she cocoons herself in, and he craves more and more...His lips taste her, and her arms trail and fold around his throat. Her lips, however, break apart slightly.

"Is this worth no tomatoes? I don't think the weather is going to hold up well, so I won't be able to plant crops after today." He can hear the annoyance in her voice, but she doesn't let go of his neck.

"You're worth giving everything," he says as the wind blows the seed packet from his hands away, leaving trails of seeds across the fields. She's frowning, he can tell from the gesture of her mouth, so he presses harder on his rose, and she brings a wind of warmth and vigor from beneath her flesh.

 **A/N: (Bonus- Wolf gets cranky and moody the next week because there's no tomatoes, haha, just a thought)**


	13. Chapter 13-Trying to Vanish

**A/N: Cinder is visiting the New Beijing Palace, where Kai is at. Less than a year has passed since the revolution and war was won. Maybe not everything is perfect and will be perfect, and happily ever after doesn't always exist, but in some form, a safe haven is created. (Rainy day- KaiXCinder TLC Ship Weeks)**

Trying to Vanish

She's quiet, and he tries to sneak a peek at her, but she's not facing his way. Her hair is undone, and it's disheveled and messily knotted into intricate folds, but he restrains himself from reaching out to her and smoothing it out.

Less than a year, he reminds himself. He needs to give her space, needs to be courteous and respectful.

Less than a year after all that blood, glamour, and terrifying politics.

Running his hand roughly through his own messy hair, he grumbles under his breath.

Cinder doesn't have any reaction- she's a stone statue, perfectly still and carved impeccably. He's being a restless disturbance- the ripple in the pond- but he's trying to do his best. She glances at him then, almost like she can read his thoughts. He wouldn't be surprised if she could.

"Hey," she says, voice cracking. With that one word, emotions spill from him and Kai can't help it as his arm snakes out and brings her body towards him. She sniffs, but Cinder reluctantly presses into him as she slides closer on the bench. Daringly, his lips peck her neck and press firmly.

"Hey," he says back, attempting a grin but feeling it fall off his lips. The street light above them, flickering on and off like a broken holograph, emits yellow light and makes her face glow. She looks down at his chest as she closes her eyes. He notices how she presses her fingers into her temples.

"Kai. I'm sorry." She flips her eyelids open and looks up, and her eyes are wide and a hazel-gingerbread hue that he wants to memorize. He wants to sweep her up and tell her to stop blaming things on herself and to vanish with him...vanish into a new dimension, a new world...

Vanish. What a fantasy.

"For what? You have nothing to be sorry for," whispers Kai. Her fingers are so taut on his shirt now, and it's like she's gripping for dear life.

"I...I'm sorry for...Everything." And he knows that she just let go of herself, he senses a subtle mood change. She shows Kai the inner shell of herself to him, exposes her vulnerability she would never show to others.

"No." Comfortingly, he rubs his arms up and down hers. "Don't cry," he adds, trying to lighten the mood.

"Ha. Very funny." But her cheeks don't lift the way he wants them to, and she's not letting her amused self show.

"Leave with me," he says into her ear. She shivers, and her head tilts toward him.

"I wish."

"I'm serious. Let's leave."

But, alas the fantasy he concocted shrivels and escapes reality again. He feels like an idiot, innocent and young.

"Kai." She brushes his cheek, and her hair gets caught into the collar fold of his gray hoodie. Smiling he grabs a chunk of brown hair and presses it to his mouth.

"Yes?" he innocently asks. His hands weave though her mousy tangles, and he can't help himself- he sniffs her hair. It smells faintly like grease and some shampoo. She must have been toying around in the engine room in the palace, where she was staying, after she took a hasty shower.

"That's it. If you keep playing with my hair..." Briskly, an elastic swoops her hair up and down, into its usual ponytail but with more bumps.

"Look whose feisty tonight," he remarks and even lets loose one of his genuine smiles, but she scowls.

Something is wrong.

Clearly. As if his conscious couldn't pick up on that.

They're silent for a moment. He hears a faint rumble up in the sky, and a rustle courses around them. And then, he hears a splat. Another one. Then, several.

He feels liquid beginning to absorb through his thick incognito hoodie and jeans.

The clouds above them are dark and blend in with the inky sky, and he gulps as the few drips of rain begin to gradually pass into a shower. Like water sprinkling nonstop from a watering can. Kai's hair is now drenched and all mop-like, and he hates the feeling of rain seeping beneath his clothing. He shivers and then looks at Cinder. She nods once, almost as a sign to get up and go. A part of him aches- the real Cinder would have laughed at him for being a coward of rain. But he gets up and she does too. Before they can take another step away from the bench and to the New Beijing palace doors, he spins on her.

She sharply inhales, and he pulls her arm closer, feeling the electric seconds tick by. Abruptly, he starts to reel her in and then he holds her tight around her waist and kisses her with all the passion he can muster. She's responsive, at least, as his mouth moves across her lips. They kiss underneath the street light, the glow slightly warming them, and even though mosquitoes are hanging on the lamps, they don't mind.

The rain slicks their hair back, and she looks so crazed and exhausted yet beautiful, like a rain cloud that he wants to hold in hand. The dark clouds hanging low in the sky are now pounding with thunderous power, but Kai only wants to kiss her and vanish. Rain tries to separate their lips from each other, slipping between every crevice and crack, so Kai practically folds her lips into his, kissing and tightening her until his arms ache and veins bulge. Rolling steams are palpable in the air, changing the tone of energy.

"It's raining," she breaths, breaking apart from their kiss. She laughs a bit then, and he nods breathlessly, sure that she's using her glamour on him now. Before he can respond, she closes the slight gap between them and sneakily moves her arms around his neck, raking her fingers through his hair. He wraps her as tight as he can and she laughs again.

"Do me a favor," she whispers, "and don't squeeze me to death."

"I'll try."

Someday.

 **A/N: BONUS- Torin comes and finds them, yelling about pneumonia and storms and potential death. Kai and Cinder sheepishly break apart and follow Torin back as he mumbles about 'stupid teens these days'. (Also: Minnesota fic will be up soon, I'm waiting a bit till these ship weeks pass :D)**


	14. Chapter 14- Repair

Repair

she could taste the air,

air,

air...

it was the air that was free, and it had been

around her for so long,

she couldn't sense its proximity.

she breathes, she tries, she gulps the air, she cries,

but it's the oxygen that's sinking through her hair and

she's broken, quiet- the air is- as she collapses and shatters.

she needs a bit of fixing, here and there,

there,

here...

a screw is loose in her mind.

not her fault, she screams as glass shards charge when

a face of an evil guardian pops in her mind,

and blue blemishing a girl, like spots on a leopard.

a silhouette of a long veil, gray and ominous.

a spread of blood like jam, marking her hands.

she hands him a driver with

some bolts and a toolbox,

he is the one,

one,

one...

to repair her every time.

 **A/N: Kai and Cinder Repair Theme. Thanks for reading. Constructive criticism, reviews, etc is greatly appreciated.**


	15. Chapter 15- What Doesn't Die

_he's the boy who never smiles_

a mouth full of pouring gore

he's the guy who never moves

a gait too quick to see

he's the man who never cries

 _an iris with emeralds dies_

...

 _she's the girl who always smiles_

a mouth full of desire and rubies

she's the one who always runs

a crimson cape flying as she flees

she's the woman who always tries

 _with flaming hair that never dies_

* * *

Wolf meant predator. Danger, canines licking juice.

Snarling teeth, and betrayed honey-nectar yellow eyes. Sniffing.

Smelling. Watching. Never blinking.

Eating. Tearing flesh, one jab at a time.

The eerie crack of knuckles in the middle of a night. Parrying hits and blows while pouncing with trepidation.

There's a Wolf who knows about this.

Scarlet meant blood. Hoping for life, but failing.

Snapping gun, and emotions spilling as impossible, sinister love overcomes. Running.

Sprinting. Crying. Never shushing.

Kissing. Planting lips, one peck at a time.

The whip of vivid curls across a pale face as wind chimes at dawn. Smacking innocence and vulnerability while shooting with a smirk.

There's a Scarlet who knows about this.

 **A/N: Hi, guys! I haven't updated this story in a bit...Just a heads up: For those of you who were wondering about the 'Minnesota-Cress-Blind!Thorne' story...Well, I've decided to pretty much give that up. I had the plot line and everything set up, but I don't think I can be fully committed to it. Of course, I'll add in little drabbles -eventually- about the two lovable dorks (based on the plot, I've created, and more), but I don't think I'm up for a full story yet.**

 **Apologies for getting your hopes up, but I promise to add things regarding that plot...**

 **Additionally, I'll take some requests for what ships you guys want to see next, or if you want particular AU ficlets or short stories or poems, etc...**

 **Thanks for reading, and reviews always help~**


	16. Chapter 16- She Is

Linh Cinder

Is bits of ash crackling from suffering wood and fire. The warm embers hot from delight, dancing at midnight. 36.28 percent _different_ , different from society- hated, despised, dirty, filth...She's an orange light in the corner of her eye. A blink, a scan, a _machine_ , an _ugly_ machine. Discrimination, standing up to her stepmother's whims, and not being able to cry over a peony's petals.

Selene Blackburn

Is dresses and bodice and lace wounded so tight she can barely breathe. Promiscuous fashions and big floppy hats and kisses under moonlight. Grace, beauty at it's peak, just like her pretty mommy. Long braids and high cheekbones. The one that never happened, only found in a fantasy. Courts every gentleman known to Lunar-kind.

Scar

Is her Grand-mere's precious, her beloved scar. She's crazy, off her rocker like her grandma, but she's different somehow- she's... _pretty_ , they laugh, they catcall at night. Her beautiful face and robust, lacy curls of red, _bloody red_ , and curves that sway just right. She's a hard worker, bravery winning under a shield of hate at night. Secrets in a box, and a gun beneath her hoodie.

Scarlet _Tanner_

Is a descendant from a Lunar. She's Lunar. A Lunar, the men in the moon, they jeer at her, she's one of them, but what can she do. She's not a Benoit after all, no, she's got silver blood. Her hair is not red, it's blue with the thousands of sorrowful stars, and everything she thought was true...was a lie…but she's got support, and she'll build herself up. She always does, always have. Gritting her teeth, guns, and gusto.

Crescent Moon

Is swirls of light pastels. A harsh tug of hair, in the darkest of nights. Constellations align to burst bits of love and passion for her; the world is her blanket, the world is her cover- she'll tuck herself in at night and hum a melody so sweet. Afraid of the monstrosity she's caused. Worked for Mistress for a decade- the pain, the sorrow, the damage she's done…

Cress

Is a friend to many. Her bright yellow laughter, her wit, the risk she has placed herself in. A star, an independent beauty of a sun, in the sky, working for freedom, what she believes in. She's no one's little worker, no one's little servant or slave. She's sand and tears, _don't waste tears dear_ , and she's sleepy faces and soft eyelids.

Princess Winter Hayle-Blackburn

Is burdened with fear. There's the creep Aimery, her delusional brain, the servant who wants to die and fall...her father, dead….Never officially meet the mother she had for mere seconds... _Princess, stay with me_ , are the only words she wants to hear. Soft nectar in her ears. Scars on her face. There's the palace guard she's infatuated with. Firecrackers and big eyes and long walks. Pirouettes, but only when step-mother isn't looking.

Winter

Is a season of cold. Survival through everything, through Death itself. She's a cousin, a friend, maybe even a girlfriend. Her wolf cries without her, she misses some things, but not everything is perfect, little ambassador. Taut, corkscrew curls of tresses and gauzy, bejeweled dresses. Giggling, grinning, and gaining sanity.

 **A/N: Thanks for reading. Let me know how I did. (Yes, I did 'Scarlet Tanner' instead of 'Scarlet Benoit', because technically that would've been her last name if her grandma married Logan Tanner...)**


	17. Chapter 17- He Is

Prince Kai

Is the soft beam of sunlight in the early morning. He's a sigh, a dreamy sigh, the looks you give attractive men on the net dramas. Wise, hilarious, perfection in every single way, he's happiness wrapped up in a bubble. Waltzes at balls. Heir- royals blood- and fantasizing kissing his soft lips, hugging him tight on a bad day. Newly ironed-pressed red-rose robes and styled hair.

Emperor Kaito

Is the aggravated groan when Levana plays with you. Thunderstorms, scowls, a game of chess. _Politics and peace- why can't those two just coexist?_ He's the ripple in the koi pond and running hands through hair. Dedication and acting quick on his feet. Running, racing, ragged breathing. Cold water being splashed onto your face early morning. A brisk hug, a soft kiss for the one with the metal hand, and then he'll lose the ruler face and become human again. Hoodies and sweatpants.

Ze'ev Kesley

Is the Lunar with bright, green eyes. Girls in his sector swoon when they see him, and he's not even a teenager yet. Soft olive skin and a mischievous glint, an ocean wave curling at your feet. He's hot cocoa and snowflakes on tongues and just nearly escaping trouble. Smart, strong, a future for him in Luna. A brother, a son, a boy, a leader.

Wolf

Is the man in the bar. The handsome, mysterious and tall type, the kind in romance novels. He's spiky, soft hair and beams of black. The whistle in the dead of night, a howl screeching and piercing the air. He's a monster, the leader of monsters, beware-! _(Do you see his bloody c_ _laws?)_ But _she_ stays with him, even when his looks degrade, she's still kissing him, and he melts- ( _Maybe it's because her hair is the color of blood?_ ). He's the soft butter dissolving on tongues, the warmth spreading to cores and nerves. Embraces that last for eternity, passionate kisses, and sunsets in the most broken of times.

Carswell Thorne

Is the crook everyone sorta falls for. A player, for sure, his eyes light up with excitement as he flings from one girl to another. The daunting type, winter breath mints, and cinnamon. Messy kisses, slight stubble, the guy who ends up in jail. Big parties, drinks to frivolous causes. Nectar dripping from flowers. Leather jackets and mirrors and charisma.

Captain

Is the laughter on the Rampion. He's a felon, sure, but misunderstood. He's not all smiles and desire, he's a little broken, too. An unofficial brother to the heiress, a friend to a pilot, a savior to a princess...and a love for the girl who wishes upon shooting stars. He'll hold her hands tight and place budding kisses on them that blossom into tulips and glowing hearts. He's the songs that are sung in the shower, a game of cards you lost but you know you'll win next time, and mumbling _I love you's_ at night.

Sir Clay

Is not your lover. Is not your friend. Is not _your anything_ , because he's just another stoic guard, another pawn for the Queen. He's a stone statue carved from marble. Might as well be a sculpture. He catches the eye of a beautiful princess, but he ignores the temptations he has for her. Burying treasure down into holes of despair, covering wounds. Hissing, squinting, a snarl to the ones who stare at her. But then again, he stares at her too...

Jacin

Is the friend of a lifetime. Watching a blizzard happen. Icy eyes that freeze you with one good look. Caresses and care. A protector, thorns snared around roses, a sword at draw. Wary, smart, ready for attack. The night sky when stars just start to appear. A cold drink after a mile sprint, the colors of a mismatching, patchy green field. A half Earth glowing in the sky. Kissing her-a season of cold- whenever he wants, because he can. Evergreen trees and missions, and _Of course, I can's._

 **A/N: I apologize for not updating in a while. My only excuse is my busy schedule. I try to make room but it's quite hard. Regardless, I hope this little prose-esque chapter will satisfy you guys for a big I know I haven't gotten much plot action done for any of my stories, but I'll get there eventually. Thanks so much for sticking with me, and I'd appreciate it if you reviewed or liked/reblogged this on tumblr. My url name is mirrors-never-lie.**

 **You guys are so amazing.**


	18. Chapter 18- Mirrors Never Lie

_Mirror, Mirror on the wall-_

 _Who is the Fairest of them all?_

She sings a harsh lullaby, the cacophonous cries in our ears.

Her tears are black drops of tar, leaving thick trails of dust.

The fire she breathes scorches our hands, and we watch her burn and die.

Mirror, Mirror-

 _Do you see this beautiful monster lie?_

Mirror, Mirror on the wall-

Our Fairest is no longer.

Mirror, mirror- thou speak the truth,

 _For once and for all._

At youth, she blossomed blood,

At night, she craved his tender lips.

Sometimes, we can hear her sobs, or-

Is that the chime of her sister's laugh?

Yet, we sense, we feel.

There is a being out there, and her name is a season of cold.

 _And we know she is, she will, be the Mirror's love._

Mirror, Mirror on the wall.

Love hurts so badly, it rips your soul.

You have come to crack and lay.

We can hardly see our reflection within you.

Nay, our time has wrinkled and so have you,

But we all have realized-

 _The monster was never the Fairest at all._

 **A/N: Thanks for reading. I'll post this on my tumblr soon. Url name mirrors-never-lie.**

 **I really appreciate reviews! Also, I think that I should actually continue/create a _separate_ fic for the Cress/Thorne Minnesota AU storyline that I did! Will post a poll, if I get some feedback whether or not I should continue. I know a user, kandyloverland, thinks I should~**


	19. Chapter 19- Chemistry, Cress, Carswell

**A/N: Long update to make up for the long time I was absent for. I'm alive.**

Oh.

 _Oh._

It was a lot larger than what she expected.

Cress glanced down at her phone, doublechecking that she was indeed at the right school, then back up at the school building.

A shiver went down her spin.

Mustering the little confidence she had, Cress straightened her back, bit her lip, and marched towards the school doors.

* * *

Mr. Erland cleared his throat. "Attention, everyone? If I could just have your eyes for a moment. We have a new student joining our class."

Carswell despised chemistry class. It was the bore of his life. Professor Erland only worsened the subject; the old, balding dimwit lazily sat at his desk all day, giving way too much work.

Carswell stopped looking outside the window and focused his gaze to the front of the classroom. New student, huh?

"Well, why don't you introduce yourself?" Erland mused.

Carswell cocked his head slightly, his eyes watching the small figure in front of the class tremble slightly. He quickly sized her up- the girl was petite, blonde, and rather plain looking. A brown pair of thick-lensed, owl-eyed glasses donned the bridge of her nose.

The most noticeable feature about her was her hair. Tremendously disheveled. It looked like the equivalent of a magpie nest mauled by a cheetah. What a sad sight. Didn't this girl have time to at least brush her hair? Thorne cringed as his fellow students began vehemently whispering and attacking her appearance.

She also looked terrified, her legs shaking and looking like they'd snap like little, wooden chopsticks.

"My- my name?" she squeaked.

Erland suspiciously glared at her, his arms resting upon his desk. "Yes, dear," he said rather weakly.

"Oh," the girl mumbled, looking ashamed, "my name is Cress. Er, that is what you can call me. My full name is Crescent Moon Darnel. Well. It is sort of a mouthful. So. Cress." Flustered, the girl bit her lip quickly, as if to stop her rambling. A scathing blush sprinkled her cheeks.

Thorne could not withhold his laughter, and just like that, a chuckle tumbled out of his lips. A few other students began snickering as well.

The girl- Cress- looked over at him. Her awfully wide, blue doe eyes widened like saucers in pure embarrassment, and then she looked away in shame.

Immediately, Thorne felt a pang of guilt. He shouldn't have been so apt to laugh. She was new, and she was scared.

"Now, class, settle down," Erland said half-heartedly, something else clearly on his mind.

Thorne blinked and stared out the window again.

* * *

She had been invited to sit with Iko, the girl from her Theater Arts class. Iko was a bubbly, beautiful girl who Cress was now indebted to. Cress couldn't hope for anything else; an invitation to sit with someone at lunch was splendid. Cress didn't even know how to locate the cafeteria, but luckily, Iko walked with her there.

"So, tell me about yourself, Cress!" Iko said, a warm smile dotting her lips.

Cress blinked. It was just Iko and her at the lunch table by the back of the cafeteria. Students were congregating and bustling, laughter and chatter about.

Was Iko a loner? Did she only invite Cress to have a friend? Well, Cress didn't really mind that, but it lowered her expectations slightly.

Then again, Iko seemed really cool and chic.

"Oh, well...I like reading and computer science. And, singing?"

Iko beamed. "You must be very smart and cool! I'm glad I invited you to sit with me! Oh, and Cinder, Scarlet, and Wolf will join us, by the way. They usually come a little later to the table though, since they're coming from gym class. The gym lockers are so far from the cafe! Sometimes, Kai and Thorne come." Iko paused for a bit, her eyes gleaming. "Kai is _sooo_ handsome!"

Cress smiled. Huh, maybe Cress would be able to meet more people after all. Iko had a lot of friends, it appeared, more than Cress ever had in a lifetime.

Iko also seemed nice, but she was a ball of energy that was starting to drain Cress.

"That's...nice," Cress forced. "Well, uh-"

"Hey, Iko," someone called. A rather attractive boy waved.

Was that Kai?

Iko smiled. "Thorne! C'mon, sit here with us!"

Cress' heart melted into gooey chocolate on a hot summer's day.

 _Holy cow._ The mental attractive meter that she kept was now broken from his handsomeness.

He looked vaguely familiar; Cress recognized him as one of the students who laughed at her during chemistry class. She grimaced at the memory. Was he going to taunt her?

Thorne jauntily walked over and flashed her a grin. "Hey, you're...remind me what your name is?"

"Chemistry class," she said quickly.

Iko and Thorne both shared a bewildered look, before they burst into laughter.

 _Shoot._

She blurted something out without thinking! Warmth flushed her face. "Uh, sorry, I thought you meant what class we shared- I mean, my name...It's Cress." Nervously, she tucked a lock of hair behind her ear and looked down. She adjusted her glasses awkwardly.

"Well, Chemistry," he said smoothly, "it's nice to meet you!"

Cress's blush further intensified.

Iko hit Thorne playfully in the shoulder. "Hey, let her be. Cress, this fool is Carswell, but you can call him Thorne. Because he is a thorne in the arse!"

Cress started to giggle.

"That's not why they call me Thorne! It's my surname!"

"Yeah, okay," Iko said, "Whatever you say, Royal Pain in the Behind!"

Thorne finally sat down with them, right across from Cress. "Hey, you guys want to hear a chemistry joke?"

Gathering her wits, Cress looked up and said, "Na."

Iko blinked, confused. "What?"

"It's Na, Sodium," Cress elaborated.

Thorne grinned cheekily. "You're smart! Well, actually, the reason why I shouldn't tell a chem joke is not because you don't want me to, but because all the good ones Argon!"

A smile lit their faces, and Cress made full eye contact with him. His eyes were a vivacious blue, and his grin made her heart flutter all over again.

Chemistry jokes and friends- especially a hot boy- was in.

Fright and awkwardness was out.

 **A/N: Hi... I really am sorry for not updating. I love you guys, but life has been tough to me. Because of a lack of motivation and time, I went on a hiatus.**

 **Today, I put up the poll to see if you want the Minnesota-Cresswell/Thress ficlet to be an actual, separate story. Therefore, I need people to participate...I hope that is not too much to ask for, especially since I just came back from a hiatus. Take your time on the survey, but the faster you vote, the faster I can make a decision on what to do with the Minnesota fic. (Check out Chapters 3 and 5 of this fic if you forget/don't know what I am talking about- basically the Minnesota story is sort of like a Roommate AU).**

 **Thank you so much for your continued support! Honestly, you guys deserve better from me. I want to update again by Monday. Enjoy your Easter or Passover!**

 **...** **And, yes, chemistry jokes. Based off the elements from the Periodic Table! Hope they made at least some of you smile.**


	20. Chapter 20- Seasons

cinder

summer.

patches of the warmest brown and

a spirit of intense fire that kindles.

basking in the heat of strength,

unafraid of toil.

burning, working, winning-

even on the sweltering days.

* * *

scarlet

autumn.

swirls of the deepest red and

a soul of fervent passion that endures.

letting go, freely, like leaves flying,

stubbornly persevering.

hoping, running, reaching-

even on the windiest days.

* * *

cress

spring.

sparks of the lightest yellow and

a mind of wonder that shines.

wandering with the blossoming threads of love,

never giving up.

dreaming, working, wishing-

even on the rainiest days.

* * *

winter

winter.

blankets of the darkest ebony and

a heart that always loves.

thriving despite the ice and frost,

believing in yourself.

yearning, fighting, feeling-

even on the coldest days.

 **A/N: Thank you for reading. The Cress-Thorne Minnesota poll is up. It should be up on my profile page, hopefully! I think I have a general idea of what to do now; a few of you left your valuable opinions in your reviews. Thanks for your reviews, as well!**

 **I tried to update Monday, but it didn't work out- way too much work. Hope you understand. See you next update!**


	21. Chapter 21- One Year

Part One

The day in New Beijing was bleak. She had been expecting a splash of sunlight and nostalgia to readily welcome her, but the humidity was suffocating. Cinder forgot about the oppressive heat waves her homeland radiated. As she stepped out of the spaceship and looked around the vaguely familiar palace grounds, a slight fear bloomed within her. There was hardly any relief to be felt. What optimism she had dissipated.

After all, one year had passed since she was here. One year had made a striking difference in history. One year ago, she was a mere ward, a slave, to her wretched stepmother. She was an outcast.

And now, unpredictably, Cinder was queen. She wanted to laugh at the irony of it all.

"Did you miss me?"

Cinder's back straightened, the hairs on her neck prickling. There was only one person she knew with a voice like that…

She spun around, dead in her tracks. Her eyes widened. "Kai!" Heart racing, she guffawed.

He approached her quickly, a goofy, charming smile dangling off his lips. Wearing a traditional, red _cheongsam_ , embroidered with swirls of gold, he looked rather dashing. "You weren't expecting me?" His arms embraced her in a tight hug, but he quickly let go. Kai studied her carefully. "How are you? Is being queen difficult? Is the food on Luna nice?" He paused his inquires for a brief second before impulsively adding, "You look beautiful."

 _Beautiful_. Her heart skipped at the word.

Overwhelmed, Cinder burst into genuine laughter, something she couldn't seem to do for a while. "Curious, aren't we? I'll answer your questions soon enough." She shifted uncomfortably in her conventional, white gown. It was painful to wear, and Cinder longed for the days were it was at least somewhat acceptable to wear cargo pants and stained t-shirts. Cinder looked down, then up at his face again. "I thought you'd be in a press conference, or something."

Gently, Kai tucked a strand of Cinder's mousy hair behind her ear. "Of course I knew you were coming. I wouldn't miss you for the world."

Suppressing a smile, Cinder bit her lip. So, he hadn't lost his cheesy, cliche mannerisms. Or, his uncanny ability to compliment her. "You don't really mean that," she challenged lightly.

"You're right..I wouldn't miss you for the universe," he whispered. He caught her eye before looking away, a faint blush speckling his cheeks.

A burst of warmth flooded from Cinder's core, and if she could, she'd blush. Before she could respond, a throat cleared.

It was Torin.

His face hadn't changed a bit, still lined with marks of concern and the ever-present, unamused expression. Respectfully, he bowed, his body directed towards Cinder. "Your Majesty."

She blinked, then scrambled out of Kai's embrace. "Oh- hello, Torin," she started. "You don't need to be so formal with me."

"I hope to give you my utmost respect." His lips made a thin line that Cinder could make out to be a smile. "After all, you defeated that evil witch."

Grinning, Cinder itched the back of her neck. "Well, it couldn't have been done with the help of others."

"Come inside," he said warmly, "I was wondering when Kai would show up to the press conference."

"So, you did have a press conference!" Cinder said, shooting a look at Kai. She tried to hide her smile.

Kai laughed. "An Emperor ought to take a few liberties in his rather grueling profession. One of them should be avoiding meetings when a very important and beloved person arrives."

 _A very important and beloved person_ … Cinder looked away, smiling to herself.

* * *

It was past midnight. Sighing, Cinder looked up at the stars and the bright, glowing orb- the moon- in the pitch-black sky. As she stood upon the balcony, clad in her finest traditional New Beijing dress, Cinder now felt at ease. Her discomfort at the start of her visit completely dissolved. Although it was peculiar to be back at a place she found traumatizing, at least Kai was here.

Kai. She missed him so much, more than she'd ever admit. It was painful to think that she'd ever been away from his embrace again.

She was already missing Iko, who agreed to fulfil some obligations on Luna while Cinder stayed in Earth. Cinder would be staying in the New Beijing palace for two weeks. The guest room she was staying in was close by to Kai's chambers, which was a plus.

A knock was at the door. Her heart fluttered- Kai?

"Come in!" she called, nearing the door.

The handle twisted open, and to her surprise, a young girl was at the door.

The girl's eyes widened with speculation. "I'm Kiki! I'm Kai's best friend! Hey, you have a funky arm!"

Guarded, Cinder pursed her lips. What was a seemingly random girl, a young one at that, doing at the palace past midnight? And, why was she opening Cinder's door?

Kiki- the girl-still had her eyes latched onto Cinder's left arm. Cinder hadn't bothered to conceal the metal; everyone knew that she was a cyborg. There would be no point in glamouring and deceiving others.

"I have a funky arm, too!" Kiki said, proudly. It was really just two fingers. Kiki went on, proclaiming, "I lost them as a baby. I'm an orphan. I'm seven!" she said, beaming.

Cinder bit her lip. When was this girl going to stop talking?

It was then that the girl's eyes widened with realization. "Wait. You're that girl everyone keeps talking about! On the newsfeeds. And, I saw a picture of you on brother Kai's portscreen! Oh my stars, everyone!" the girl exclaimed. "I'm meeting a celebrity right now!"

 _Brother Kai?_

Wincing, Cinder knew that a few doors by were other ambassadors and politicians from other countries. There was a good chance some of them could be sleeping.

"Please- come into my room before you yell again," Cinder said, resigned.

 **A/N: Summer has been very busy! My sincerest apologies.**

 **In a few hours, I'll have my Minnesota-Cress-Thorne fanfic up! As a separate fic! You can follow me to get notifications when I upload fics :)**

 **Lately, I've been wondering if I should continue writing fanfics, because I think that a lot of people don't like my work. But, I realized it doesn't really matter- there's people out there, no matter how many, who actually like some things I write, and I want to improve as a writer. So, I really want to thank all of you who have complimented/critiqued/followed or favorite anything I have written. Thank you so much.**


	22. Chapter 22- Mittens in Minnesota

**A/N: NEW STORY! Hello, all. This is a new fan fiction titled 'Mittens in Minnesota'. However, I will also publish this as the next chapter on my other story, 'Not Over Yet', in order to let people (some have been waiting for a looong time for this publication; I apologize for the wait!) know of the news.**

Cress shut her eyelids and buried herself further in the blankets.

Her alarm continued to ring, the soft chimes repeatedly ringing.

Groaning, she rolled over in bed and dismissed the alarm. Her back ached, and her stomach growled impatiently.

It was time to pack up and leave.

* * *

Everything she owned- which really just consisted of a bed comforter, some textbooks and notebooks, clothes, a few toiletries, and a laptop, phone, and charger- was packed tightly in a small, conventional suitcase. Sighing, Cress gripped the handle, mustered up any gusto she could, and marched on out.

But, she felt an aura of grief wash over her.

 _I'll miss you_ , she thought fondly as she departed the familiar hallway. Usually, she found that the drab colors of her dorm room were bleak, but today, nostalgia dominated her mind.

Every Christmas that Cress remembered usually followed a routine.

To her, holidays were the same as always. At least, up until now.

 **A/N: I hope you enjoyed it! If you didn't know already, a few chapters in 'Not Over Yet' already contain this story. However, I've decided to alter the parts I've already written. If you're curious as to what happens next, there's some bits and pieces in 'Not Over Yet', but the beginning of the story is different...so, it won't pick up directly from this part.**

 **Thank you for all the support. Apologies for the short chapter. It will be longer next time.**


	23. Chapter 23- One Year (part 2)

Part Two

Kai briefly looked at the time on his portscreen before clipping it to his belt. 12:47 AM. Accidentally, he had absorbed himself in his work- organizing documents, reviewing complaints from cyborgs, reading over news articles about the distribution of the letumosis antidote… He had forgotten the time.

He stacked some paperwork neatly on top of his desk before leaving his office. A thought crossed his mind:

Cinder. He had forgot about Cinder.

 _Shoot._

Hastily, he rushed out of his office and entered the guest wing. A sense of dread and regret consumed him; how stupid could he be? She must have been waiting for him. He promised to visit her before night fell, and he didn't. Maybe she was asleep?

Kai looked at the room numbers, recalling Cinder's room number. Or, at least he was hoping this was Cinder's room. He was about to knock on the door before he hear a screech erupt from inside.

"Shush, will you?" someone else snapped.

Confused, Kai hesitantly knocked on the door.

There was silence on the other end, and after a minute had gone by, Kai knocked again.

"Kiki, I think your loudness attracted some angry neighbors…"

Then, Kai had conviction that that had to be Cinder. That was her voice- irritated and resigned. And, to think that silly Kiki was in there.

"It's just me, Kai," he said, withholding a laugh. "Don't worry."

The door swung open. "Kai!" Cinder couldn't hide her smile. "Stars, I was starting to wonder if you were dead."

 _Dead_...The word made him freeze a little, and he noticed her sudden discomfort. To think that not so long ago they nearly died…

Kai quickly plastered a smile on his face. "I'm sorry I made you wait," he said, "but I'm here now!" He entered the room before giving Cinder a quick peck on her forehead.

"Ew!" Kiki shrieked. "Kai kissed Cindy! Kai kissed Cindy!"

"I told you, please stop calling me that," mumbled Cinder.

"Hey, Kiki," Kai said, grinning at her silliness, "it's past your bedtime, right?"

She pouted before crossing her arms. "No…"

"Two more minutes," he said, then bent down to match her height. "And, that's final."

Kiki looked as if she wanted to protest, but then she rolled her eyes and harrumphed." _Fine._ "

A laugh tumbled from Kai's lips, and he tousled up her black hair. "Thank you!" Turning his head to Cinder, he said, "I'm guessing you guys got acquainted?"

Cinder pressed her lips into a fine line. "Hm, I guess you can say that. She knocked on my door, made some noise, and I let her in hoping she'd pipe down...Kiki's sweet, but…"

"I'm loud!" finished Kiki, a wide grin on her face.

"Mm, we know," Kai said. "Anyway...oh, wow, look at the time! I think two minutes have passed! Kiki, let's get you out of here...Cinder needs her sleep, too, and-"

"Hey, only, like, a second has passed! And, you just wanna talk to Cinder and kiss her," she pouted.

Ignoring the flaming sensation on his cheek, Kai bit his lip. "Kiki…" He tried his best not to look mortified; this little girl was literally eliciting embarrassment from the Emperor of New Beijing. "You need to sleep."

She huffed. "Fine...but I'm saying yes because I know how much you wanna spend time with Cindy!" Sticking out her tongue, she ducked out the door and then held a thumbs-up to Kai. "Good luck."

Kai collapsed onto Cinder's bed. "Oh, my gosh." He covered his face with hands, groaning. "I'm so sorry."

Laughing, Cinder sat besides him. "She knows how to get on people's nerves. Kinda cute though. Clever, too."

Peeling his hands off his face, he sighed. "She's cute, yes, but a ball of energy." And, she sure knew how to make fun of him, he thought to himself.

"Just wondering...is she related to you?"

"Huh?"

Cinder wrung her hands. "When she introduced herself to me, she called you 'Brother Kai'?"

"Ah…" Kai sat upright. "She's one of the many children at the Cyborg Children Agency. The agency is designed to help poor or broken families, particularly young children. Poor children who are actually cyborg or are dependent on a cyborg are allowed to stay in the palace."

He paused, then elaborated, "My idea was to give aid to children of unwilling, poor, and or abusive cyborg guardians and guardians of cyborgs. About twenty children are staying in a wing in the palace. They all know me very well, so lot of them call me a brother."

Cinder was quiet for a moment. "Wow…"

Quickly, he looked at her expression. "Is it a bad idea?"

"No, no...it's fantastic… I just wish I had that option when I was younger."

An uneasy silence came. Cinder sighed before bringing her knees to her chest.

Kai snaked his hand around Cinder's left- her cyborg one. "You were my motivation to start this, you know."

She rested her head on his shoulder. "I'm glad that you were able to start it."

It wasn't long before Cinder started to snooze, her head now leaning against his chest. Kai's arm was now wrapped around her back, and he silently chuckled to himself.

"Good night, Cinder," he mumbled, softly kissing her mousy, brown hair.

 **A/N: Sorry for being so inactive. I'm randomly posting updates because I'm basically on an off-on hiatus. Hope you have a lovely day~**


End file.
